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Health and Fitness
Health and fitness are often named
in one and the same breath, and with reason for they are strongly
related. But being related is something else than being the same.
Both terms are defined in many ways. Search the internet
and you'll find many different interpretations.
Health
is often defined as "metabolic efficiency" and/or "not having a disease
or
sickness". It is a wide concept and comprises more than only
physical health. Think of social-, mental- and emotional health as well.
Fitness
is often defined as being able to perform physical
activity.
This means that as long as we live, we all have a certain level of
fitness.
The better our condition, the more we can physically handle,
the higher our level of fitness.
Health and fitness are related in the sense that they should go hand in
hand, but they can grow apart too.
Nowadays, it is all about fitness. The higher the level, the
better.
But "fitness" must know its
place and its task, which is to serve health, our
greatest personal treasure.
You negatively affect your health when your level
of fitness raises to a
degree where your body is no longer capable of recovering
from the ongoning exertions.
An
example are sportsmen and women who push their body to the limit, and
sometimes beyond. They build their whole life around their
sport and do everything to improve their performances. But by
putting such a strain on their body, they constantly run the risk of
getting injured. An acute injury like spraining an ankle or an overuse
injury.
On
the other
hand, you
also affect your health in a negative way when
you let your
level of fitness drop below the point where your
bodily
functions can no longer work properly. Physical inactivity combined
with wrong eating habits are mostly the cause of this situation.
In
this case, sudden
exertions like
running to catch a bus, climbings stairs or snow
shoveling
can get someone's health in serious trouble. This is the situation too
many people are dealing with in today's society.
Fitness
should be at a level where your health benefits most.
At that
point you will have the best quality of life possible. Good
for
you and your loved ones. Now and in the long run.
Fitness
comprises four elements; the cardiorespiratory system, the
muscular system, flexibility and body composition.
The next pages are about these components and how to work on them.
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